Linda Ballou, shares a host
of articles and information about her travel books on her site www.LostAngelAdventures.com. You will find information about her novels
and media offerings at www.LindaBallouauthor.com.
Subscribe to Linda’s blog
www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel
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Tasmania: Australian Adventure - Go World Magazine
Editor’s Note: While we hunker down at home during the current world situation, we still dream of travel. Tasmania is Australia’s smallest state, and this southern island offers plenty of adventure. Enjoy!
Eager to hike the trails in Eagle Hawk Nest on the Tasman Peninsula, I set out early from Hobart, the largest port and gateway to adventures in Tasmania, an island state off Australia’s south coast.
The intoxicating perfume of wildflowers drifting on a sea breeze greeted when I pulled over to view of the shimmering blue Tasman Sea far below.
Tassie, as Australians affectionately call the island, is known for its rugged wilderness areas, which are mainly located within reserves and parks. Tasmania, Australia may be the smallest Australian state, but it offers plenty of adventure.
Waterfall Bay Walk in Tasmania
Waterfall Bay Walk
The Waterfall Bay Walk was a perfect amble through the forest overlooking the craggy rock formations and aquamarine coves far below. The Three Capes Track, a four-day, 30-mile track skirting the soaring dolerite cliffs unveiled in 2015 draws trekkers from about the globe.
National Parks in Tasmania
I left regretting I had not allotted more time to explore this gorgeous region. I gave myself one week in Tasmania (fast becoming a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts) to hit the top sites of Cradle Mountain National Park, the Cataract Gorge in Launceston, and Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park on the sunny east coast, so it was time to go.
A 3-hour drive north of Hobart through the arid middle of the country brought me to my friends’ home in Launceston. Proud of the rich heritage of their city, they pointed out the many Victorian structures and remnants of the convict days and gardens that grace their city.
They took me to a gracious restaurant overlooking the Cataract Gorge, famous for hikes into the dramatic canyon carved by the Esk River that is traversed by a striking suspension bridge.
From there I drove the winding road to Cradle Mountain, stopping in Deloraine for a “toastie” (a grilled/panini-like sandwich) and tea. A Wind in the Willows-like river walk in drizzling rain reminded me of the Mother Country.
Its tidy patchwork quilt of pastures on rolling hills dotted with sheep completed the picture; the difference being this bucolic scene is framed in ragged spires.
Driving in Tasmania
The country lane soon turned into a corkscrew affair that spiraled upward through mountains sheathed in thick forests. No one had mentioned to me that Tasmania is one of the most mountainous islands in the world.
Accidents on the narrow lanes are common. You are advised not to drive after dusk as that is when the wombats, wallabies, and pademelons come out to graze causing accidents as people swerve to miss them.
The Tasmanian Devil is a carnivorous marsupial that is now only found in the wild in Tasmania.
Tasmanian Devils
The nocturnal Tasmanian Devil, rarely seen outside of sanctuaries, is coming back from the brink of extinction. The devils suffer from infectious viral cancer in the form of a facial tumor that spreads through biting and has killed 90 percent of them in the wild.
Cradle Mountain National Park
Cradle Mountain National Park is home to the highest peaks in Tasmania with wild, unpredictable weather. Even though it was raining the day I arrived, I attempted to hike the 4-mile Dove Lake Circuit.
The trailhead is also where the challenging 6-day Overland Track begins. Sheets of water shut out the view of the mountains framing the lake and forced me to turn back. I was, however, able to enjoy the Enchanted Woods track in the gloom of a haunting forest ensconced in moss and algae to energetic Knyvet Falls.
Tasmania has many beautiful beaches
East Coast of Tasmania
Another roller coaster road brought me to the sunny East Coast of Tasmania where endless miles of white sand beaches are kissed by turquoise rollers off the Tasman Sea. Sailboats dot the marinas and summer cottages line the shore of coastal villages.
My charming Airbnb in Bicheno was a skip away from a blowhole, and a walk on granite rocks covered with orange lichen that brought me to a tiny marina where the special was a zesty seafood bouillabaisse.
The guide on a glass-bottom boat tour of the marina informed us that the marine creatures here, like squid and seahorses, are endangered due to a warm current coming from mainland Australia that is heating up the waters killing the kelp forests. Yet another imbalance in nature caused by global warming.
Tourville Lighthouse in Tasmania, Australia
Freycinet National Park
Freycinet National Park, home to the spectacular Wine Glass Bay, is the most popular attraction on the east coast. I took the spiraling road up to the Tourville Lighthouse where an easy loop affords mind-expanding views of the blue veil of the Tasman Sea.
The marine preserve below the surface, established in 2007, begins 3 miles offshore and extends for 200 nautical miles to protect migrating whales and all manner of sea life in the submerged mountain range.
The easiest way to experience Wine Glass Bay is to take the water taxi out of Cole’s Bay. It takes you around the peninsula, drops you off on a flat trail across the isthmus to Hazards Beach where you are picked up for the return ride.
Benoche Marina in Tasmania, Australia
With 40 percent of the land in this island state preserved with 880 tracks lacing the national parks, Tasmania is one of the last hold outs for true conservation.The caring population of just over half a million are doing all they can to keep their home clean and green. I’m grateful to the devil that got into me and told me I had to go and see Tassie for myself.
I looked forward to curling up with this book. So much fun to revisit Kauai and see it through the eyes of a local. I lived there when there were only 35,000 people and few “no trespassing” signs. In this rendering there are 70,000 locals finding it hard to survive and traffic jams. The protagonist like many Hawaiians is multi-cultural. She is torn between living on the mainland in Seattle and returning to her roots on Kauai. There is a mystery here, but I have to say I found the motive for murder a bit weak. No matter, I loved hanging with the locals, visiting places that have changed so much since my time in the Islands. Thank you to Naomi Hirahara for this authentic rendering of Kauai today with some interesting plot twists for good measure.Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawaii
Love this interview with Craig Koehns of Boomer Far Out Adventures Fame
With the CDC discouraging international travel this summer due to covid-19 most of us will be vacationing domestically. With our new normal in mind we re-convene with boomer travel adventurist writer Linda Ballou as she reveals her 32 off the tourist grid hidden gems along the stunning California coastline.
Talking about my favorite stops along the coast from Malibu to Mendocino made me want to do all my daytrips over again! California has so much to offer.
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked
and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The
most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost Angel
Walkabout.In Lost Angel in Paradise she
shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. Her latest effort Get Great Trips for Free tell you how to build your travel writing platform..Learn more about her travels at www.LostAngelAdventures.com
Are you ready for a road trip up the coast of California?!
Escape with me as I take you on my favorite power-packed outdoor days
along the sun-splashed California Coast from Malibu to Mendocino. Let your
spirit free strolling long stretches of sand in solitude. Breathe deeply of the
restorative energy of fern forests shaded by towering redwood giants.
Kick-start creativity while meandering among flower-infused meadows, listening
to wind voices off a full-blown sea. Get the rust off your soul and find
harmony in nature. When you are done with your hike, tuck into tasty treats at
a sweatband-friendly eatery that I have tested personally. You have earned your
calories!
The Los Angeles Times recently ran a piece suggesting that
river rafting could be the best thing to do this summer “Why
white-water rafting could be the safest way to a family vacation this summer.”A
doctor from Seattle who has been working with Covid 19 patients feels the need
to get into the fresh air to re-charge his batteries. He will be taking his
children on a river trip and believes it will help him re-connect with his family. River
rafting is one my favorite ways to get out into pristine country. Gliding along
following the ebb and flow of a river, rubber necking gorgeous scenery and
listening for the rumble of the next rapid ahead is one of my favorite things to do.
Rogue Rivr-Oregon
Tatshenshini River-Fairweather Range
Momentum River Expeditions is a small company with personalized service on some the best
rivers in the U.S. They run the Tatshenshini River, a 125 mile run from the
Yukon to the Gulf of Alaska. This is for the more rugged outdoors enthusiast as
it involves rafting through glacier fields and being totally unplugged. The
Salmon River in Idaho is a bit more civilized, but don’t be surprised if you
see Big Horn mountain sheep standing on the shore. It takes you through a deep
canyon far away from the maddening crowd. Ashland Oregon, of Shakespeare
Festival fame, is home base for Momentum River Expeditions. They run the family friendly Rogue River with small groups and experienced guides that pride themselves on their home
cooking all summer.
Salmon River-Idaho
Whether you are a seasoned river rat, an intermediate
adventure junkie, or a family looking for a way to spend quality time together
there is a river for you. Check out all the river rafting options offered by Momentum River Expeditions
When Linda is not river rafting, hiking or horseback riding
in gorgeous country she is writing about her experiences. Her articles appear
in Go World, Real Travel Adventures and on her Boomer Column on NABBW.com. She
shares her most memorable journeys in Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s
Tales. Linda resides in the City of the Angels and takes you to her favorite
hikes of the coast of California in Lost Angel in Paradise. Get Great Trips for
Free is her latest offering. Learn more at www.LostAngelAdventures.com
Fun Q&A with Lisa Smith about what it takes to succeed in the travel writing world.
Now is the time for you to position yourself to take advantage when the world re-opens.
Trust may it will! Don't waste this gift of free time.
Get Great Trips for free is available for dowload on Amazon in the kindle store.
I have a host of articles and information about my travel books at
www.LostAngelAdventures.com
Make your time at
home count and get great trips for free!
Successful people position themselves to succeed. In this
handbook I provide a road map for “Travel
Writer Wannabes.”Often people tell
me I am lucky.I do feel lucky that I
have been hosted on fabulous trips around the globe. But, I worked hard to get
lucky! Because of my travel writing
skills I have enjoyed fabulous trips with like-minded travelers to exotic locales
around the globe.
Since being gifted with downtime that allows me to focus on
my writing, I created this book to help those who have asked me,
" How do I get great
trips?"This guide takes readers on the
fast track to getting their dream
destinations.
Don’t waste this time. Use it to create
your writing platform. You need a web page and clips of articles. Use what may
be a year before the travel industry is up and running to your advantage.
Position yourself to approach tour companies with a professional media kit.
They will need ways to re-vitalize their businesses and you could be the
answer.
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, shares travel essays
in her bookLost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, and 32 Day Trips
along the California Coast in Lost Angel in Paradise and Get Great Trips are available on her site www.LostAngelAdventures.com
and Amazon.
Armchair travel at its best is informative, entertaining, well-written, sparks our wanderlust and provides a sense of place. All of these books fill that criteria for me. Enjoy your staycation.
Wilderness: The Gateway to the Soul, by Scott Stillman. Stillman is preaching to the choir in my corner of the world. One of my stories, set in Sedona, Not Enough Said for Solitude, is about taking time to connect with nature. For some time, I have been encouraging people to toss the remote out the window and breathe deeply of our beautiful world. However, it is refreshing to find this younger voice sharing the many ways that nature can be our salvation. I believe people are too concerned about being connected on social media and are so harried keeping up with technology they have lost touch with themselves. I am not able to carry a backpack into remote regions solo like Stillman, but I do enjoy river rafting and hiking in our country’s varied, majestic landscapes. I thank him for taking me into places I can’t go alone and for allowing me to imagine the peace, silence, and magic of these wild places. This is a poetic rendering that will help you become free in your wildness.
The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner. The right to pursue happiness is guaranteed to us in our constitution, but it seems most of us have chosen goals that don’t bring us to that blissful state. Weiner made it his mission to understand why and figure out what constitutes happiness in different cultures about the globe. It seems Americans for all their wealth and creature comforts, are among the least happy of peoples. I looked forward to curling up with this fun, thought-provoking romp each night before going to sleep. Weiner admits he falls back on generalizations about cultures, but he does it with self-deprecating humor. “Be here now” is the accepted mantra for happiness these days. The people of Thailand say it more simply, “Don’t think too much.” The Danes, declared to be the most content since there are no expectations in a socialized country, are not included in this journey. Perhaps, Weiner, a self-proclaimed grump, will take us there next time he explores what makes us glow from the inside out.
Talking to the Ground, by Doug Preston. This epic horseback journey across the Navajo Nation is well-researched, informative, and fun. Preston takes his wife-to-be and her nine-year-old-daughter with him on a harrowing trek that turns life-threatening on more than one occasion. Preston displays a deep knowledge of the Navajo, the ancient ones, and the geography of the Navajo Nation. We visit canyons where ancient cliff dwellings can’t be reached any other way than by horseback, camp under the stars, and feel a deep connection to the land. Preston shares a journey that brings his family together in a very special way. I loved this book and didn’t want it to end.
Baboons for Lunchby James Michael Dorsey. I love a man with a sense of humor. It’s hard to imagine the distinguished James Dorsey I know to be slinging dung balls at monkeys, or bouncing unceremoniously across the desert on a camel, but he does. In his effort to connect with cultures that are rapidly disappearing, he finds himself in some precarious situations. He always handles them with respect for his hosts and delivers insights to his readers. This is a wonderful well-written collection of tales from silly to soul-searching. Obviously influenced by Tim Cahill, my travel writing hero, Dorsey shares his exploits with self-deprecating humor while delivering a deeper message.
A Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson. The first time I read this book I enjoyed it. The second time I read it a couple of years later, after learning a great deal more about Australia from other sources, I loved it more. Bryson does not take you to the typical tourist stops. Rather, he takes you many places best avoided, but he explains why in the process. His focus is on odd happenings in history, and quirky people he meets along the way. He is always researching museums and reading local papers to ferret out more little-known factoids about the place. He does not spend a lick of time at the Great Barrier Reef except to tell us about the couple that was left there to try to snorkel thirty miles back to shore. Instead, he takes us to the distant shores of Western Australia, a place so vast that it has never been completely explored, to stare at blobs of matter called stromatolites credited with being the first bits of life in our universe. No matter where we are, he always throws in a bit of sly, self-deprecating humor. Fun read chock full of information and insights into the people and places down under.
Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, by Linda Ballou. Since I’m the only woman author in this collection, may I suggest my own book? Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding, writes, “Awaken your senses with thrilling tales of an intrepid soul’s search for beauty in the wilds. Ballou embraces life and draws readers into her adventures with vivid descriptions that make you feel you are traveling alongside her. She brings an intelligent meditation on nature in richly detailed, often poetic stories.”Available on my site www.LostAngelAdventures.com and on Amazon.
My mission is to get to as many beautiful places she can before
they are gone! I share a host of travel articles on her site, along with
information about her articles and books at www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.
Join her at Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/linda.ballou.9
Subscribe to her blog at -http://lindaballoutalkingtoyou.blogspot.com/
